21: Why a High Carb, Whole Food Diet May Be A Solution to Diabetes

02/16/20 • 84 min

Whether you have diabetes or not, you definitely don't want to miss out on what Robby and Cyrus have to share about their experience eating fruit with type I diabetes! Cyrus Khambatta and Robby Barbaro co-created the Mastering Diabetes Method to reverse insulin resistance in all forms of diabetes, and have helped more than 10,000 people improve their metabolic health using low-fat, plant-based, whole-food nutrition, intermittent fasting, and exercise. In this episode we discuss what exactly diabetes is, and how their experience on this low-fat, plant-based, whole-food diet has changed their relationship with fruit.

Robby Barbaro, MPH graduated from the University of Florida and is the cofounder of Mastering Diabetes and Amla Green. Robby was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 12 and has been living this lifestyle since 2006. In that time, while eating pounds of fruit every day, his HbA1c value has never exceeded 6.4%, and his blood glucose has been stable and easy to manage.

Cyrus Khambatta, PhD earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University in 2003, then earned a PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry from the University of California at Berkeley in 2012. He is an internationally recognized nutrition and fitness coach who has been living with type 1 diabetes since 2002.

In this episode you’ll learn:

-About Robby’s experience being diagnosed with type I diabetes

-The difference between prediabetes, type I diabetes, and type II

-About their experience on a plant-based ketogenic diet

-How Robby’s insulin sensitivity changed on a fruit based diet

-The deal with fructose consumed on a fruit based diet

-About Cyrus’ story being diagnosed with type I diabetes, Hashimoto's hypothyroidism, and Alopecia

-What insulin resistance is actually caused by

-About the connection between obesity and diabetes

-About why the ketogenic diet makes you more insulin resistant

-Why eating low fat can help with diabetes but doesn’t help with processing carbs

-About how to introduce more carbs after being on a ketogenic diet

-Which fruit has the highest glycemic index

-About how fruit juice affects blood glucose levels

-How a whole food plant based diet affects athletic performance and recovery

-Why it’s important to take supplements on this diet

-Why carbs are crucial to recovery after a workout

-About the optimal omega 6 to omega 3 ratio

-Why intermittent fasting can be a great tool

-Why moving your body daily is so important

-About why documenting food intake is so important for those with diabetes

-How insulin can affect your brain function and possibly be tied to Alzheimer’s and dementia

-What it means to reverse type II diabetes

-How intermittent fasting works with the risk of hypoglycemia

masteringdiabetes.org | Mastering Diabetes Podcast | Recipes

In this episode you’ll learn:

-About Robby’s experience being diagnosed with type I diabetes

-The difference between prediabetes, type I diabetes, and type II

-About their experience on a plant-based ketogenic diet

-How Robby’s insulin sensitivity changed on a fruit based diet

-The deal with fructose consumed on a fruit based diet

-About Cyrus’ story being diagnosed with type I diabetes, Hashimoto's hypothyroidism, and Alopecia

-What insulin resistance is actually caused by

-About the connection between obesity and diabetes

-About why the ketogenic diet makes you more insulin resistant

-Why eating low fat can help with diabetes but doesn’t help with processing carbs

-About how to introduce more carbs after being on a ketogenic diet

-Which fruit has the highest glycemic index

-About how fruit juice affects blood glucose levels

-How a whole food plant based diet affects athletic performance and recovery

-Why it’s important to take supplements on this diet

-Why carbs are crucial to recovery after a workout

-About the optimal omega 6 to omega 3 ratio

-Why intermittent fasting can be a great tool

-Why moving your body daily is so important

-About why documenting food intake is so important for those with diabetes

-How insulin can affect your brain function and possibly be tied to Alzheimer’s and dementia

-What it means to reverse type II diabetes

-How intermittent fasting works with the risk of hypoglycemia

masteringdiabetes.org | Mastering Diabetes Podcast | Recipes

Previous Episode

20: Intro to Gut Health Part 1

The gut is one of the most influential organs; it supports almost all of your body’s functions by breaking down food and absorbing the nutrients you need. When it comes to overall health, the gut plays a crucial role in how the rest of your body functions. In this episode, we begin to break down the ins and outs of gut health, how you can optimize it, and why it’s so important.

In this episode you’ll learn:

What exactly the gut is
About how often you should be going to the bathroom daily
About the GI system and how it functions
The importance of the microbiome in your GI tract
How your gut supports your immune system
Why it’s so important to have a balance of good bacteria and bad
How the gut influences the brain
Why stress can cause GI problems
Why the Vagus nerve is so important to gut health
How the gut is tied to serotonin levels
How gut microbes make short chain fatty acids and what they do
That low levels of BDNF are linked the depression and anxiety
How gut biome can affect decision making
How probiotics and gut health can affect your mood
Why it’s so important to make sure you get a diverse probiotic
How antibiotics can be helpful and why it’s important to be selective about when you take them
Why it’s important to rebuild the good bacteria after antibiotics
What prebiotics are
What probiotics are
Which foods can help support a healthy gut
How NSAIDs like Ibuprofen can affect gut health
Why recovery after a workout is tied to gut
About resistant starches and why it’s important to let your carbs cool before eating them
That omega 3’s help reduce inflammation in the body and gut
Why you should always chew your food fully
How digestive enzymes can be helpful
About the role sleep plays in gut health
What to look out for in processed foods
How alcohol can affect your gut
Ingredients to watch out for in processed meats
Which foods have been shown to have anti inflammatory benefits

Studies:

Microbiome and Gut Dysbiosis: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30535609
One study in humans found that people with IBS or Crohn;s disease had reduced vagal tone, meaning the function of the vagus nerve was impaired: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25207649
Up to 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut. (Some of this is produced by the microbes Cándida, streptococcus, escherichia, & enterococcus) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4393509/
Do your gut microbes affect your brain dopamine? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31098656
Increased colonic propionate reduces anticipatory reward responses in the human striatum to high-energy foods. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27169834
Butyrate, neuroepigenetics and the gut microbiome: Can a high fiber diet improve brain health? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26868600
Resistant starch: impact on the gut microbiome and health https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0958166919301077d

Next Episode

22: Gut Health Part 2 with Dr. Mary Pardee

Gut health is so crucial to a properly functioning body and feeling your best. Dr. Mary Pardee is a Naturopathic Medical Doctor and a Certified Functional Medicine Doctor who specializes in integrative gastroenterology and hormone balancing in Los Angeles, California. She is the founder of modrn med, a telemedicine and virtual wellness company that provides concierge medical and health services to clients across the world from the comfort of their homes. In this episode, we break down all things gut health and take a deep dive into what causes gut issues like leaky gut, SIBO, & more and how you can treat and prevent them.

In this episode you’ll learn:

About how Mary got into naturopathic medicine
Some common gut health issues Mary sees on a regular basis
What functional bowel disorders are and about some common symptoms
About irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and some different forms of it
What SIBO is (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)
About what causes SIBO
About why gas and discomfort is a symptom of SIBO
About Migrating Motor Complex MMC
How snacking can affect your gut health
About how fasting 12 hours overnight can affect your health
About how your immune system directly relates to gut health
About the role cortisol plays in your immune system
About why your mental health is just as important as your physical health
About SIFO (small intestinal fungal overgrowth)
About how you can test for SIBO
About probiotics and how they affect your gut
Why veggies, fermented foods, and herbs are so great for gut health
The deal with intestinal permeability, A.K.A. "leaky gut”
That NSAIDs like Advil can damage the intestinal lining
Mary’s advice for food sensitivities
Why Mary recommends a low FODMAP diet for SIBO and IBS
About fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) and how they can help with Crohns and ulcerative colitis
About Glutamine and how it can help fuel your colon
Why it’s so important to chew your food properly
About what acid reflux is
The role stomach acid plays in acid reflux
What Hypochlorhydria is
About some antimicrobial herbs and why they work